Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-06
HERMANN EXPLAINED.
How Some or . Showsnnn's Ceic'
brsted Tricks arc Performed.

toward the footlighis he emoved his
gloves, rolled them Into little bali, pre-
tended 10 put them into his left hand, but
kent them In the hollow palm OF his right,
and then waved his hands In the air. keep
ing the back OF his right hand toward tue
spectators. He then picked up pack
OF cards from the table and shuilled them,
arranging The nine OF clubs, ten OF dla'
monds, and the ace OF hearts In the middle
of the pack. so that be would know their
exact position and could keep the thiri
finger II bis right hand beneath them. lie
walked down from the stage aud presented
the pack, spread out back upward, to one
OF the audience, requesting the gentleman
to select card. AS the stranger re1ched
for card Hermann moved the ntne OF
clubs toward him with his finger, aud the
stranger took it. Another person WAS male
to draw the ten OF diamonds and another
the ace Of hearts IN the same way. Tnef
looked at their cards and put them back
in the pack, which was then shutil Il.
The Snowman returned TO the STAGE
and asked the three persons to name
their cards. They did so. and young
wOman dressed as page then brought
from behind the scenes a sword. The
blade OF the sword had been passed through
three similar cards, which were concealed
behind the bilt.guard. A fine elastic cord
was attached to the point OF the sword,
stretched and fastened to the hilt. The
three cards were made fast TO the elastic.
The young woman took the pack aud
tossed 1t toward Hermann, who held the
sword In bis hand. As she did 50 he
thrust the sword toward the flying pack
ana released the elastic from the bllt. The
rf al..ku TOR ~ HiamnnHa ND n
hearts at once appeared near the point OF
the blade, as though pierced through while
flying.
Next Herman borrowed q handkerchief
from lady aud gave 1t to young man TO
hold between his hands. He carried a
wand under, his arm. Taking the wand
out with his right hand, he also took from
a little pocket under his arm small package
OF pieces OF linen, which he concealed in
the palm OF his right hand. He then said
the young man In the audience was not
holding the handkerchief right, aud took II
from him TO show him how. He rubbed
the handkerchief between his hands,
palmed II, and gave back the bits Of cloth IN
Ms stead. The young man did not observe
the change. Again Herman appeared
dissatisfied, and told the young mIa
to bold the handkerchief up by corner.
The dupc opened his hands and the bits Of
cloth fell out. He picked them up and
handed them to Hermann, who put them
between his own hands, paned them, and
worked toward the ends OF his fngers a
long ST. ip Of cloth. which he bad concealed
in his palm. Then be shook out the strip
and said it was composed OF the pieces.
This he rolled up and palmed, and, turn
ing bis back to the audience TO go back upon
he stage, he put all the bits OF cloth away
under his coat and showed his hands to be
empty. Then he picked up lemon from
which the pulp had been removed, aud in
side OF which handkerchief had been
placed. He cut the lemon aad drew out the
handkerchief. The spectators thought it
was the one he had borrowed. and they ap.
plauded. He put the handkerchief on
plato and poured some alcohol upon it.
The pretty young woman set fire to the al
cohOl with candle. Then he eX inguished
the fame with a sheet Of paper, in which
he wrapped the embers. lie went to a
ta1le, rolled the package with his band
into a little well. and took up another
paper containing an unscorchcd piece
OF cloth. He walked down toward the
audience, pretended to toss the piece OF
cloth 10 lady with his left and
palmod it with his right band, which be
dropped to his waist. While the spectators
were looking at his left hand be concealed
the piece OF cloth in a pocket just inside
The edge OF his coat. He then placed his
wand under bis left arm and took from the
pocket there the original borrowed hlnkcr-
chief, concealins 1t in his palm. Pllcng hiS
hand at gentleman's car, he dropped the
handkerchief to the ends OF his fingers,
pretended to take it out OF the gentemau's
car, and banded it TO the lady.
The performer borrowed tall hat,
turned his back to the audience, put
handkerchief containing three eggs lut0
the hat aS he turned 10 the stage, faced
about, aud took first the handkerchief aud
tur eggs IRON tue nat. INC pretty young
woman, with a short wand in her hand,
went down the aisle and borrowed three
rings. Returning to the stage she slipped
three other rings upon the wand and
handed it to the Snowman, keeping the
three borrowed rings concealed Ia
her hands. She then went behind
tie scenes and it'd the three rings to
ribbons hanging from The necks OF three
white dove. and put the doves iuto the
deep cover OF a stewpln. Tue cover had
tal.e bottom held ia pace by spriug.
While she was dong this Hermann let the
three bogus rings shde from the wand into
stcwpsn, broke tie eggs and dropped
them in, poured in some alcohol, and set
fire To 1t. The pretty Young woman
brought ont the cover and Hermann placed
it on the pan. lie then released The tal.c
bottom. lifted the cover, and showed the
three doves sitting on the pan with the Dor
rowed rings tied TO their necks. He placed
one OF the doves on the barrel OF a pistol
and iIed his weapon. The dove was trliG-
Cd not 10 move. He put the dove on q
table, covered II with a bandk rchisf,
drOpp the bird through little trap.
gathered up the handkerchief rs though
the dove were inside, wigslug his dugcf
in the handkerchief to simulate the llutter.
ing Of the bird, aud then smashed the
handkerchief between biz hands very viO-
lently. Lsdlesi Ia the audience sud. "Oh!"
The Snowman shook the handkerchief ont
by the corners and showed that IL was
empty.
Hermann next got q programme, rolled
II up into the form Il 4 csndy.horu, placing
in 1t secretly a compressed packet OF cut
paper flowers that he obtained from the
pocket under his left arm. Putting his
right hand INTO the horn, o.tensiby 10
shape il better, he removed the pressure
from tue packet aud tle pIper flowers
swelled and fitted the horn. He shook them
out upon the table, put his hand upln
them 10 arrange them, and picked 10 an
other packet, which he introduced INTO tue
horn while again adjusting its shape lie
repeated ibis several times, until about a
bushe Of flowers had been shaken out.
He then borrowed a hat, took TlDbit
from under his coat a. he walked away, aud
put il inls the hat. Then he took the ra1.
bit out OF the hat by the ears. While tue
spectators were examining that RABBIT he
held the hat close to his Dreast WIN bis
right hand and nut into IL another rabbit
with his leh. He took that rabbit our.
Then he placed both rabbits on tue tlble,
one hiding the other from the spectltor..
dropped the latter rabbit through trap
rubbed the remaining one, and said he
had rolled two rabbits Into one. A con
federate IN the audience had. a third |
rabbit concealed IN his inside coat pocket. |
Hermann came down, Struggled with the
man. and pulled the rabbit out OF his |
pocket. Hermann returned TO the stagr,
tossed the rabbit In the air, placed it on |
shelf behind the table when II cane down,
made tossing movement again very quic6. |
lg, fireda pistol with bis lett hlud, aud |
looked up rs though be had thrown the |
rabbit into the flies Then The curtain came
down for an lntermissi0n; and ir rad all |
been easy enough TO see through il you
knew how.
MEXICO May HAVE A CARDINAL.
Quite General Belief that ihe Red |
Hat will be Given to Labasiida.
A 81. Louis special SAYS: A CORR. pond.